Bunny Love

Yesterday morning Ilima neighborhood residents enjoyed time playing with and feeding some beautiful bunnies brought in for a visit by the Haku Baldwin Center.

Photos courtesy of Melissa Antonius, Ilima Neighborhood Supervisor

Hale Makua Kahului Annual Christmas Program

On December 23rd Hale Makua Kahului residents, families and staff enjoyed this year's Christmas program. A last minute decision to move the program to the Aloha Cafe due to soggy grounds from heavy rains the night before didn't dampen the Christmas spirit or festivities. The Aloha Cafe was beautifully decorated, staff performed several dances and songs, Lani was a gracious emcee, and Greg Juan played guitar and serenaded the crowd throughout the program.

Staff and resident Helen Oliveria sing the 12 Days of Christmas

Santa makes a guest appearance

Mar sits on Santa's lap

The Activities Team performs a song in sign language

Santa distributes Christmas gifts

Resident Council Celebrates the Holidays

On December 23rd, 11 members from Hale Makua Kahului's Resident Council gathered to celebrate the holidays. Activities Director, Teresa Lopes, and Nutrition Services Manager, Rosie Kahiamoe, worked the grill to prepare a special meal for the Resident Council, including hamburgers, hot dogs and teriyaki beef. Yum!

Birthday boy, Bruno Wong, enjoys a BBQ lunch with Vilma Sanchez

Nancy Kawamura assembles her hamburger

Wally Oshiro & Shigeko Nemoto enjoy their lunch

Chirtmas is a Time for Family

Resident Stephen Harada and his grandson spent some quality time together on Christmas Eve, enjoying lunch and building gingerbread houses.

Photo courtesy of Melissa Antonius, Ilima Neighborhood Supervisor

Gingerbread Cookie Decorating

Holiday Decorations with Tutu

This year for Christmas Tutu (my husband's grandmother) wanted Christmas decorations for her bedroom windows, so this past Saturday we spent the afternoon decorating Tutu's windows at Hale Makua Kahului with removable, re-positionable stickers.

Tutu puts the finishing snowflakes on Frosty

Tutu adds the gum drops & peppermint sticks

Shaun & Tutu pose in front of their finished window decorations

Annual Winter Ball

For the past few years St. Anthony students have made it a tradition to throw a Winter Ball for the residents at Hale Makua Wailuku. The female residents get all dolled up and have their hair and make-up done by St. Anthony volunteers. The students decorate the dining room, sing carols, and spend some quality time with the residents in celebration of the holidays.

Roberta Yamada gets her make-up and hair done by a St. Anthony's volunteer

Laura Waiohu and Peter Kaina sing carols with the St. Anthony Students

Residents enjoying the festive décor and music

Santa makes a guest appearance

Connie Dang Celebrates 100th Birthday

 

Resident Connie Dang (pictured with her son Frank) celebrated her 100th birthday last week! I snapped this photo as she was on her way out to a family party being throw in her honor.

Amazon the Parrot Brings out Smiling Faces

Tony Basco, the son of a resident at Hale Makua Wailuku, frequently takes his beloved pet parrot Amazon in to visit his Dad. While he's here Amazon brings joy to the residents and sparks a lot of spontaneous curiosity.  

Peter Kaina takes a break from leading the exercise circle to meet Amazon

Sarah Takatani talking with Amazon

It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Chirstmas

Residents, family members, and staff kicked off the Christmas spirit by setting up the Christmas tree in the Aloha Cafe yesterday. Everyone lent a hand to open up branches and insert them into the the appropriate spots. Can't wait to see what the fully decorated tree looks like!

Residents Enjoy a Fabulous Thanksgiving Feast

Volunteer Lillian and Activities Assistant Donna plate the meals

Residents enjoy good food and great company on Thanksgiving day

Inspiration from an Eden-Registered Home

When I first applied at the Brethren Retirement community, I thought I was applying for a job as a nursing assistant. I never dreamed it would become so much more than that. It has become a family, a home, and a career for me. I am glad to say that I have been a part of the Brethren Retirement Community for more than ten years now.

Each floor of the Brethren Retirement Community is its own neighborhood. I work in a neighborhood that is home to people living with dementia. My main duties are to assist these individuals with all activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing, eating and so much more. To some, this may seem mundane, but I receive a great deal of satisfaction from what I do. I get the distinct pleasure of becoming a large part of their lives and learning about their past. I get to be there to help them celebrate milestones like 100th birthdays or re-learning how to dress themselves or feed themselves after a stroke or an accident. Since I give direct care to those I work with, I am one of the first to notice changes in their behavior, mood or abilities, which is a key part of ensuring their health, comfort and happiness. As care partners, we are encouraged to come up with new and innovative ways to meet the ever-changing needs of the Elders who live here.

Upon hearing what I do for a living, I am often asked how I can handle such a depressing job where the residents ultimately either pass away or go home. I always respond the same way every time without hesitation. Before they pass away, they live. Before they go home, they grow stronger. I get to be someone who helps them achieve the strength needed to go home and I get to be the one who makes them smile and ensures comfort in their last days. Knowing this, who wouldn't want this job? You can't focus on the downside of a job, you can only focus on the upside and how to be better at your job or career. This position is no different. Wouldn't you enjoy making someone smile?

We at the Brethren Retirement Community strive to give our residents the best quality of life not just quantity. It is something that we take great pride in doing well and are always trying to improve upon. I am very blessed to have had the opportunity to be a small part of something that is such a big part of life for so many others. For that I am forever grateful.

 

From a Care Partner at Brethren Retirement Community, Greenville, OH

Eden Alternative Tip of the Week: Reflections on Giving Thanks

As I celebrate my first Thanksgiving as a member of the Eden Alternative family, I realize how thankful I am for the opportunity to serve all of you in my new role. Since joining Eden Alternative in June, I have met so many wonderful people who are so passionate about serving Elders and each other by applying the Eden Alternative Principles. I want to personally thank all of you who live these Principles each day and for the positive example you share with the world.

 
It is just amazing for me to see how these ten simple Principles can have such a profound impact on so many lives when they are put into practice. It gives me pause to think about the awesome responsibility I have been given to lead the Eden Alternative and to bring our message to many more people here in the U.S. and around the globe. I am so thankful that I have been given this opportunity to work with an amazing group of people and an amazing organization as part of a powerful cause.

I hope you all will take a break over this holiday weekend to enjoy its blessings "Eden Style". Think about the ways you can give as well as receive care. Take the time to slow down and enjoy being in the moment. Celebrate the Elders who will be with you and the gifts they will share with you over Thanksgiving dinner. Enjoy the simple pleasures that Thanksgiving Day with family and friends has to offer.  I wish you and yours the very happiest "Eden Style" Thanksgiving!

 

Best regards,
Chris Perna

Eden Alternative CEO

Resident Spotlight: Doris Voss

Doris Voss was born Doris Makalapua Shea, on December 20, 1927. She was raised in Papakolea on Oahu, Hawaii. She is one of Nine (9) children born to William AhLeong Shea and Hattie Makaneole, a full-blooded Hawaiian. During her childhood, Doris enjoyed playing games with her siblings and friends, especially marbles, at which she excelled. She looked forward to the annual beach picnic which involved the entire Papakolea community. Her community was part of the Hawaiian Homestead, and the people living there were very close and always involved in community activities.

Doris is pictured here with her son Al

After going to McKinley High School, Doris took shorthand and worked at Waikiki Bowl as a pin setter for a couple of months, then worked for Kodak of Hawaii as a checker, and later as a clerk/cashier. One day while she was working a uniformed gentleman came in to pick up photos for his friends, and gave Doris several receipt tickets. Doris couldn’t find the photos and told him she couldn’t locate them. This made him upset and he mumbled under his breath as he left the store.

About a month later, Doris’ friend named Queenie, who had been staying with Doris’ family for a couple of months, said her boyfriend was coming up to the house. When he got there, he told Queenie and Doris that he wanted them to meet his friend and neighbor, “Bud”. When Doris went up to the car and looked in, both she and “Bud” looked at each other and simultaneously said “it’s you?” After that awkward moment, the four of them and a friend decided to drive around the island. With ukulele in hand, Doris played and sang songs, one of which was “But Where Are You?”, which became the favorite song of Bud and DorisAlbrechtson, married December 14, 1946. Doris and Bud had four (4) children, Robynn Moana Sonoda, Lynnay Luana Argel, Albert Sigurd “Sparky” Albrechtson III, and Allyn Troy “Kippy” Albrechtson. Doris worked as a cashier at Zane’s Market in Kaimuki for 17 years while Bud worked as a police officer for 27 years, until the children were grown and out of the house. Doris also has 7 loving grandchildren. 

Bud passed away in 1988, and Doris remarried to David Voss. They traveled extensively while they were both in good health, but David recently passed away as well. His paintings are proudly displayed in Doris’ room, and she enjoys Hawaiian music, especially the oldies, and loves playing all kinds of card games.

She is indeed a family treasure! 

Submitted by Lynsey Capone, Activities Director

Happy for Sushi

Yesterday a handful of Hale Makua Wailuku residents enjoyed lunch at Genki Sushi at Maui Mall. "Genki" means "happy" in Japanese, and there were a lot of happy stomachs after eating all of that onolicious sushi! Mrs. Inouye and Mrs. Tamanaha were assisted in making their sushi selections by Activities Assistant Maile Licos and Volunteer Lillian Murakami (pictured above).

Veterans' Day Celebrated

Mahalo to the Na Pua O Kapiolani Hula Halau for providing all of the wonderful entertainment for Hale Makua Kahului's 26th annual Veterans' Day program. It is such a treat to have this tradition carried on for all these years. The residents enjoyed the hula and music performances by the dancers of all ages.

Crafts with Maui High School Students

High school students from Maui High School who have an interest in pursuing a career in healthcare come every year to Hale Makua Kahului to work on a crafts project with the residents. Each resident is partnered with one student. This year each student came up with their own individual crafts project to work on with a resident. In previous years all of the resident-student teams would work on the same crafts. It was great to see the residents and students working together as a team on a project, and we look forward to seeing the Maui High School students again next year!

Jerry works on a drawing

Wally and a student work on making lei together

Nancy and a student work together on a weaving

Shigeko adds color to her wooden box

Therapy Dog on Vacation

Ruth gives Jaya a treat

Therapy dog Jaya was vacationing on Maui for two months with her owner Melodie Ulman. During those months both Jaya and Melodie took the time to visit Hale Makua Kahului and got to know the residents. Jaya is a visitation dog certified by the Delta Society. She is six years old and is also a hospice volunteer in her home town of Tahoe, California. While on Maui Melodie wanted to give back to the Maui community by bringing joy to some of our residents who enjoy the companionship of a pet, but prefer not to have the full-time responsibility of caring for one. Melodie hopes to come back to Hale Makua with Jaya on all of her future trips to Maui, and we look forward to having them!

Petting Jaya puts a smile on Mary's face

Residents Volunteer at the Maui Humane Society

Maria Nishida getting some puppy kisses!

Today Hale Makua Wailuku residents and staff went to the Maui Humane Society to visit with the animals.  The residents donated plenty of goodies for the animals - comfy blankets for the new puppies and kittens to snuggle up to, fuzzy toys for them to play with, and treats! Most importantly our residents gave back to the community and gave the animals some much needed tender loving care!

Mistue Nakahashi with a kitten and Administrator Connie Miller

Eileen Kailihou and a recently fostered kitten